As per cabinet decision taken on 11th July 2017, use of polythene, lunch sheets, food boxes , cups and spoons made out of plastics / regiform /polystyrene are banned from 1st September 2017.
Anyone using above items after 1st September will be fined Rs 10,000 and two years imprisonment by a Court of Law on prosecution, said Central Environment Authority.
In the meantime, polythene Manufacturers and Recyclers Association has organized a demonstration in Colombo Fort today (21) against a government decision to ban certain types of polythene and plastic with effect from September 1, President of the association Anura Withanage said, that the government had moved to ruin a 40-year-old industry within 45 days.
The move has been made on the pretext of protecting the environment, but it will actually help a project jointly launched by some state officials and a private company to import an alternative to polythene bags, Withanage alleged.
One of the demands of our agitation is to get an appointment with the President. We may march to the Presidential Secretariat seeking an appointment with him. We intend to hand over a petition outlining our grievances and the details of mafia blocking our plans.
